How about going to a vacation spot that is known to have some of the best and most popular beaches in Costa Rica? If you have always wanted to vacation in Costa Rica, check out Jaco.

About a two hour drive from San Jose, this bustling town sits on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. For many years, it has been one the most popular beaches in Costa Rica, in large part because of its nightlife. Its reputation as a fantastic “party beach” is now well known.

It wasn’t too many years ago that Jaco was a sleepy little Pacific beach community. Surfers discovered one great surfing beach after another nearby, a laid-back lifestyle, and cheap places to sleep. But, secrets are hard to keep and as word got out, more tourists started flocking to Jaco, looking for great relaxation, peace, and fun. Within the last half dozen years, Jaco has boomed. Where, not long ago, there was a single, quiet (except at night) little road through town, now there are towering high rises, nearby resorts, and lots and lots of restaurants and bars.

The costs of vacationing in Jaco match any budget. Today, you’ll find accommodations catering to the most well-heeled all the way down to those economy budgets (think hostels with cold water—but cheap)! And, of course, there is no lack of choice for eating, partying, or sleeping. You’ll also find those ubiquitous tourist traps where you can shop for that special gift for your (jealous) friends and family who couldn’t make the trip.

Though the beach directly in front of Jaco (Jaco Beach) has been very popular for many years, it is surpassed by nearby beaches (literally just a couple of miles/kilometers away). These beaches have fewer people and are some of the most ecologically pure in all of the world, bearing Blue Flag certifications for cleanliness. In particular, I recommend spectacular Hermosa Beach, just a couple of miles from Jaco. It is pristine and has some of the best surfing on the planet. In fact, in late July professional surfers from more than 35 countries are going to descend upon Hermosa in the days for world surfing championships—and party at night in Jaco.

There are innumerable things to do during your vacation. Go horseback riding along a lovely beach or visit the nearby river with its huge, famous crocodiles. Zipline through the canopy or try sea kayaking or sailing. Visit Arenal Volcano and sit in the hot springs watching the eruptions. Take a real Swiss train to a real Swiss hotel in the mountains of Costa Rica! Learn to surf or take a Spanish class (some language schools offer surfing as well!). Zipline high in the forests or take a balloon ride over the jungles. There are dozens of different activities close-at-hand where youll have fun or find a romantic place.

And, if you exhaust all the other activities (probably pretty difficult), don’t forget that you can also experience great off shore fishing. The warm, tropical waters are alive with marlin, tuna, sailfish, porpoises, dozens of other varieties, and often whales. But, whatever your tastes, Jaco is definitely a wonderful place to take your vacation.

Christopher Columbus discovered and named Costa Rica 500 years ago, yet every day people discover new wonders while visiting this marvelous country. Though it makes up only about 1/10,000 of the land surface of the planet, there are more species of butterflies here than on the entire continent of Africa combined! One-fifth of every species of plant and animal on earth is here.

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